Guess who's coming to dinner
by Malauara aka Z
Summary: Steph calls and lets parents know that she is bringing a dinner guest.  Who is and what's going on?  Mostly from Hellen Plums pov.


Title: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner.

Rating: Pg13

Spoilers/Warning: General from ofm to ts.

Don't own them. Just Borrowing from JE.

My hand shook ever so slightly as I turned around from the phone, "Frank that was your daughter. She said she was bringing a quest for dinner and it was not that nice Morelli boy." I then slammed into the kitchen to get another setting for the table. Why wouldn't she just settle down? Was she trying to make me old before my time? First it was the DIVIORCE, I mean what man keeps' it in his pants these days. But to wreck the house like she did and throwing all his things out side like that and scream to the whole neighborhood about seeing that woman riding him like a horse was too much. Has she no pride? No shame? I raised her so much better than that. She has too much of her father and my mother in her. I have tried over the years to make her see this but it gets me nowhere. The saints only know what she is dragging into my home tonight. I hope it is not that thug Ranger. I know deep in my heart that he is the reason she will not settle down with Morelli.

He appeared just after she started THAT job. The one where she shoots people, blows ups cars, gets kidnapped, has crazy people breaking into her apartment, the one that will get her killed. If she would only do what I want her to, marry Morelli and have babies. That would settle her down, I just know it. She would turn into the perfect burg housewife in no time. And I would not be a failure. I would be able to hold my head up proudly wherever I went because both my daughter are good burg housewives. But NOOOO RANGER appeared in her life and she keeps moving farther and farther away from my dreams for her. He has flashy cars that he gives her without a second glance. He does have manpower to watch over her, that part I like. But I know that Morelli would do this too, because if she were married to him, he would keep her at home pregnant.

Well they will be here any minute now. Let's see we are having baked chicken, greens beans and red potatoes, squash and homemade coconut cake for dessert. Dinner will go like this; Frank will sit there shoving food in his mouth without saying eight words. My mother will flirt and try to pick up on whatever man Stephanie is bringing over. I will have to bear the brunt of the conversation because I am a good hostess. Well it sounds like they are here.

I went and stood next to mother at the front door the person with Stephanie looks like that Ranger fellow, only he is not dressed in all black. He has on blue jeans and a green button down shirt. He opened her door for her and held her arm as he escorted her to the front door. He looks amazing like THAT Ranger person. Stephanie introduces him as Carlos. Mother says I thought he was Ranger. He smiles at her and said that is my street name, for when I am working. When I am with family I use Carlos then he gave us a smile that seemed to light up my whole house. We turned and moved as one to the dinning room. Frank was already in his chair. THAT man with Stephanie took a set next to Frank and spoke politely to him. To my amazement it seemed that they knew each other, and from the look on Stephanie's face this was a shock to her as well. THAT person gave Stephanie as small smile and told her that Frank had done some consulting work for the firm on a case they had a while back. She turned to her father and said really. He said yea, plus I got to see where you are now working so that is a plus.

"What you are not working for Vinnie anymore?" I ask.

Stephanie shook her head slightly and said, "Well, um. I have decided that I will be working full time at Rangeman now. We, Carlos and I, don't think that chasing after skips would be that healthy for the baby." A dead silence followed her pronouncement.

"BABY" shouted my mother. I just sat back in my chair trying to catch my breaths this was it she was going to tell me that she was going to get married. "So when is the wedding?" I countered.

"Mrs. Plum, Steph and I have decided that she will move in with me and we will have this baby. We have not decided to get married, just yet. Not saying that we won't, it is just that we just don't think that getting married because she is pregnant is a valid reason to get married. We do love one another we just want to take some time to get to know each other."

I was livid. "Get to know each other? You obviously know each other well enough to make a baby," I shouted at them. I turned to Frank. "Frank Do something."

He sat there looking at me then he took a deep breath and quietly asked me, "Do what? Scream and holler at my adult child, because she will not live the life you want her too. Weep and manipulate her because all the hopes and plans that you have fabricated for her don't fit her as well as you want them too. Fight with my daughter when she comes to me telling me she is going to make me a grandfather. NO I am going to sit here and finish my supper then I am going to get up and hug my daughter and tell her how proud of her. I am proud of her for being her own person, for making her own choices and for knowing her own mind. For becoming what we raised he to be an adult. Not some Burg follower. She has made her choice. Carlos is a fine man. He will be a good father and he will take care of her wither they get married or not. So for once Ellen sit back and be proud of something your youngest daughter has done. Let her fly."

I sat there in disbelief. My mother's mouth was open and no words were coming out. I looked over to the other side of the table to Carlos and Stephanie. He was holding her as she cried. I could see love in his eyes and then it dawned on me. If Morelli had been here he would have gotten up and slinked out of the room, leaving her to face this all on her own. I stood and said, "I will just go get coffee and dessert. Carlos would you like to help me?" He smiled gave Stephanie a quick kiss and followed me to the kitchen.

The end.


End file.
